This invention relates to sectional aerial refueling apparatus, and more specifically to an aerial refueling nozzle and a receptacle therefor.
It is expected that refueling rates of at least 2000 to 2400 gallons per minute will be needed for advanced, high-capacity receiver aircraft expected to be operational in the near future. These rates are over twice the practical flow limits of currently operational aerial refueling apparatus. One way to satisfy the need for higher capacity apparatus would be to refit existing tanker aircraft and provide future tanker aircraft with larger, higher-capacity refueling booms and nozzles similar in structure to those currently in use. This approach, however, would render tankers equipped with the larger booms and nozzles incompatible with existing receiver aircraft equipped with smaller receptacles. Refitting all existing receiver aircraft with larger prior art-type receptacles would be prohibitively expensive. Although tankers could be equipped with one boom and interchangeable nozzles, one for large receptacles and one for small receptacles, it would be impractical to operate so-equipped tankers with a mixed flight of aircraft having small and large receptacles since only one nozzle could be installed at a time. The structural complexity that would be involved in equipping a tanker with multiple booms for the high and low capacity nozzles would create an almost intolerable increase in weight and operating costs and therefore, renders this possibility impractical.
It is a broad object of the present invention to provide aerial refueling nozzles and receptacles therefor that satisfy the above-mentioned need for higher-capacity refueling apparatus without creating the problems that would result from the use of larger, prior art-type apparatus. Another object is to provide high capacity aerial refueling nozzles that are not only operable with the high capacity receptacles of the present invention but also with currently operational low capacity receptacles. A related object is to provide a refueling nozzle operable alternatively in a high flow mode or a low flow mode, depending upon the type and flow capacity of the receptacle into which it is inserted.
Another object is to provide a high capacity aircraft refueling nozzle that may be mounted on presently operational tanker aircraft with limited pumping capacity to be operated at relatively low flow rates with low capacity receptacles on existing receiver aircraft until future receiver aircraft equipped with high capacity receptacles of this invention become operational, at which time the pumping capacity of low capacity tanker aircraft so equipped may be increased by adding additional pumps thereto to meet the aerial refueling needs of such future receiver aircraft.